People who come to work at Roosevelt tend to stay here.  The average length of RCC employment for our caregivers is more than 10 years, and Roosevelt employees tend to see themselves as having two families:  One at home and one here.

Our RNs, LPNs, CNAs and recreation therapists establish close personal relationships with the residents they serve.  Personalized and compassionate care is the standard here, and our staff/patient ratio is appreciably higher than the state requirement.

Many of our nurses are certified experts in different medical specialties, such as gerontology and infection control, and many hold IV certifications.


Full-time Physicians
Unlike most area long-term-care facilities, Roosevelt has a staff of full-time, on-site physicians, who provide coverage 24/7. 

Working under the supervision of Medical Director Dr. Vasilios Velmahos, a team of specialists in internal medicine work at Roosevelt full-time and have a full call schedule, similar to the schedules maintained at acute-care hospitals.

This level of day-to-day physician presence is almost unheard of for a nursing home today; in most long-term-care facilities, physicians are part-time or visit one or two days a week.

Thanks to our full-time medical staff, residents at Roosevelt can receive many treatments on-site instead of going to a hospital or clinic.   It is also comforting for families to know that in case of an emergency, a physician is in the building and ready to help.


Consulting Medical Specialists
Some of the area’s most highly regarded medical specialists make “house calls” at RCC when their services are requested.

Our increasing roster of consulting physicians includes general surgeons, plastic surgeons, vascular surgeons, cardiologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and specialists in diabetes, renal disease, gerontology and other fields.

When a Roosevelt resident has a special problem, the medical staff brings in a skilled specialist in that field of medicine to treat the person on-site at RCC.  In many nursing homes, residents are sent to specialists’ offices, clinics or hospitals.
 

Dr. Damiani is a noted expert in rehabilitative care and during his career has developed several programs to treat head injury and stroke victims that have become models for facilities throughout the country.

A graduate of the University of West Virginia, he attended the University of Pisa School of Medicine and received a doctorate of medicine and surgery from the University of Rome in 1984.

“The best part about working here is that the staff is totally committed to what they are doing. The most rewarding part is that the residents are happy and that their families know they are being well cared for.”

Prior to joining RCC, Dr. Damiani was the rehabilitation director at Jackson Center/Genesis ElderCare and the Director of the Head Injury/Stroke program at Greater Pittsburgh Rehabilitation Hospital.  He was the clinical director at New Medico at Meadowlands, a rehabilitation and care center in Cannonsburg, PA, and also worked as an associate instructor of anatomy, physiology, biology and microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Community College.
 

Alan Fialka, Jr.
Assistant Administrator and Admissions Director
Alan Fialka joined the RCC staff as Admissions Director in 1999.  In 2001, he was named Assistant Administrator.

"At Roosevelt, we can empathize with people who are making a nursing home decision because many of us have faced the same situation with someone in our own families.  We understand what an emotional decision it is, and how confusing it all can seem, and we're here to help everyone through the process."

Mr. Fialka has worked in various capacities at several area long-term-care, behavioral treatment facilities and health care organizations, including Fair Oaks Hospital in Summit, Northfield Manor in West Orange, American Day Treatment Centers in Saddle Brook and Horizon Health Corporation in Teaneck.

He is a 1995 graduate of Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA, and is a certified emergency medical technician. 

Paul Abbey
Director of Resident Services and MCIA Liaison
Paul Abbey, the Middlesex County Improvement Authority’s on-site representative at RCC, has been affiliated with Roosevelt for 29 years.

As MCIA Liaison, he works with the RCC administrators and staff, the MCIA and the residents to ensure that the people who live here continue to receive the highest-quality care while the facility functions efficiently and smoothly.

Mr. Abbey first came to the building when it was called Roosevelt Hospital to manage the Middlesex County drug treatment program that was located here.  In 1981, he became the Director of Resident Services for Roosevelt Care Center, and in 1998 he took on the added MCIA responsibilities.

He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University.  He is a licensed clinical social worker and holds certificates in substance abuse studies and management from Rutgers and Yale University.

“I make my daily rounds at noontime.  I know it’s when I’ll find the largest concentration of residents, family members and staff members in the dining areas.  I have my little pad and I take notes, especially about concerns that staff members and residents need to have addressed.  When I get back to my office, I call the administrators and the department heads, tell them what I’ve seen or heard and we try to work it out.  It’s pretty simple, really.”

Mr. Abbey has served on the Board of Managers of the Middlesex County Unit of the American Cancer Society, as a member of the Middlesex County Office on Aging Advisory Board and as the chairman of the Board of Directors of the New Brunswick Counseling Center, a 400-client drug and alcohol treatment agency.